A single design system for all your needs

Consistent operation across different machines

Small operating errors, big consequences

Imagine having to change the operating system over and over again to do your job. The operation feels strange and you accidentally trigger actions you did not intend. Now imagine that even small errors like these can cause downtime. This is exactly what GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH wanted to reduce or eliminate. The production line for the final processing of food products consists of a large number of complex machines, some of which require very different work processes. In the worst case, this could lead to operator errors, resulting in food waste or production losses – a costly and ethically problematic issue that GEA wanted Centigrade to solve.

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GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH

Global provider of process technology and solutions for the food industry.

UX Design

UI Design

Prototyping

Many machines, many sites – one design system

A design system is a collection of reusable components that follow clear standards. It serves as a reference to help different teams, such as designers and developers, achieve greater consistency in the design and creation of digital products. To make the jointly developed user concept as easy to use as possible, we have developed a sample library for the GEA user interface – GAID: GEA Aligned Interface Design.

In the beginning there was... User Research

As with any successful project, this one was based on careful and early user research. In the case of GEA, we particularly enjoyed this step because it gave us fascinating insights into the world of food production: From the machines that produce lollipops at dizzying speeds to the oversized pots where the contents are still seasoned by hand.

We came to an important realization early on:

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Digitization yes! But only where it makes sense.

The work environment in the food industry is highly manual. Despite automation, human workers are almost always involved. Rash digitalization for the sake of digitalization would be counterproductive. To put it simply, if you don't have a free hand, you can't use a tablet or smartphone. With this in mind, we developed the Design System.

Consistency through patterns

The defined patterns are divided into different elements, ranging from small generic elements such as buttons to complete screen examples. Colors, fonts, and spacing are precisely defined and form the basis of all patterns. In addition, a comprehensive icon catalog is available to make it easier to find suitable icons.

When GEA develops new software, it can be seamlessly integrated into the existing machine world thanks to the pattern library. GAID ensures consistency in both visual design and functionality, even across different machines and locations.

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The timeline revolutionizes shift handover

One particularly noteworthy feature developed during this process deserves additional attention: the Timeline. The Timeline is a detailed report in the form of an interactive timeline that presents information about what happened in previous shifts to make shift handovers between two operators more efficient.

GAID at Interpack 2023

Based on the jointly developed design system, GEA was able to implement a consistent UX design across all machines and locations, which is now being further developed according to the latest requirements and findings. The latest products that bring the user interfaces to life were presented at Interpack 2023!

Working with Centigrade was both efficient and inspiring. Their attention to detail always kept them focused on the big picture and our users. Thanks to Centigrade's support, we were able to take the next big step as a company and develop and expand our own IP based on their concepts. We can't think of a better partner on our way to focus on customer value through UX.

Nelson da Costa Moreira Group Leader Digitalization Strategy & Software Development, GEA Food Solutions Germany GmbH